A SPecial Edition of January 2020
THIS IS US Welcome to the third annual issue of our special edition of The Panther, “Faces of Palmetto.” This issue aims to show the Palmetto community the unique and special people who walk our halls: from the students currently enrolled in Palmetto to the faculty who dedicate their time teaching us and the alumni who spread Palmetto’s positive influence wherever they go. The Panther staff chose 11 people it feels embody the spirit of Palmetto through their stories and impact. The Panther also hopes to broaden perspectives on the people in Palmetto, as the 11 featured in this issue have stories not widely known to the Palmetto community. The Panther recognizes their importance and their humanity. Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s “Humans of New York,” The Panther looks forward to continuing this incredible tradition of highlighting the remarkable people walking among us on campus far into the future.
For more stories written by the Panther staff, visit www.thepalmettopanther.com All photos in this issue were taken by Valentina Caceres, Jacob Grindstaff, Sofia Vineuza, Julia Strasius and Gianna Hutton
THIS IS PALMETTO, THese are our stories
Table of Contents Lily Weinbach ........................................................... 04 06 ........................................................... RON magill Emiliano Rivera ..................................................... 08 10 ........................................................... Mikayla Ashe Kyle Korvick ..................................................... 12 13 ........................................................... Michael Martinez Logan Esco ..................................................... 14 16 ........................................................... Alyssa Hamaya Evan Golinsky..................................................... 17 18 ........................................................... Juanita Rosa PEGGY Falagan ..................................................... 20
04 ALUMNI
Miami Palmetto Senior High alumni Lily Weinbach began her freshman year at the University of Michigan entirely unaware of the obstacles that would test her capacity to overcome them. After graduating from high school in 2018, she looked forward to living in Ann Arbor and enjoying the typical college experience. However, toward the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, Lily began experiencing severe stomach pains that would entirely change the direction of her first year in college. The pains prompted Lily and her family to investigate the source of this discomfort. “The pains that I felt were so intolerable, so I needed to see what was wrong,” Lily said. Unfortunately, after performing diagnostic tests, doctors discovered that Lily had colon cancer. Considering her lack of genetic dispositions and the rarity of the disease among young adults, the news came as a complete shock. The colon removal surgery that would rid her body of the malignant area was the initial step on her road to recovery. It forced her to leave Ann Arbor— as well as her expectations for freshman year — behind and come back home.
Lily Weinbach
“It all happened super fast. I did not expect to have to go back to Miami so soon into the school year, which devastated me,” said. Although the surgery eliminated the cancer, she made the decision to undergo a six-month chemotherapy session to prevent the possibility of relapse. “The chemo was really bad. I felt sick the whole six months and I was also really upset that I was missing out on everything happening at school,” Lily said. “It was hard to see my friends and everything they partook in, while I was sitting at home, feeling trapped.” The extension of her journey caused many additional unexpected setbacks. For instance, the chemotherapy prevented her from living in a cold climate, making it impossible for her to go back to Michigan after surgery. Rather than fulfilling her courses and schooling requirements, she chose to prioritize her treatment and repeat her freshman classes the next school year. Determined to improve her physical well-being, Lily demonstrated herself as being willing to reach her goal at all costs. “I was really practical about everything, not going out when I felt sick and prioritizing my health. I just wanted to
move on to the next step to get better, even if it required extra time spent at home. I thought about the future and what I would soon be able to do and the school year that lay ahead of me,” Lily said. With this mindset, she showcased her ability to remain positive and keep her head held high, but there inevitably came difficult times in which she needed others. Her family and best friends sat by her side throughout her recovery. Palmetto sophomore Grace Weinbach, Lily’s sister, lived with her at home as she recuperated. Lily remained positive as she endured many treatment sessions. “Seeing how well she was doing throughout the whole process helped me stay positive,” Grace said. “I did my best to be there for her, especially during the rough days, which sometimes was heavy, but she always had a bright outlook.” Palmetto alumni Sydney Miller not only acted as a significant player in Lily’s large support system, but also has been her best friend for years. Lily consistently depended on her, regardless of the circumstances.
ALUMNI| 05
A SURVIVOR OF
“Lily has always been the type of person to want to help others and taking care of her made the process easier,” Miller said. “We were able to laugh and cry together during the hard times and make every milestone special.” After performing the intense treatment, doctors declared Lily as an officially cancer-free patient, giving her the green light to return to the University of Michigan to fulfill her previous plans. Her battle against cancer caused her to face remarkable adversities, such as leaving school and the entirety of her chemotherapy treatment. It continuously tested her willingness and disposition. Although she could have made the decision to quit at any time, her fixed positive mindset throughout the process gave her strength to continue fighting. Lily has evolved from this experience unlike any other she had undertaken before. “...It changed everything... I kind of put happiness above everything else because now I’m aware of how quick things can change... Now I have very different priorities,” Lily said. From the perspective of those who
THE UNEXPECTED
supported and encouraged her throughout her journey, Lily has grown and matured immensely. This obstacle in her life took a toll on her, but helped her in ways as well. “She is much more confident now, and she is definitely more grateful, but she is still the same person she’s always been,” Grace said. “Her battle against colon cancer distinguishes Lily as a warrior who fearlessly took her future into her own hands.” From this experience, Lily can now reflect on the strenuous journey she underwent, taking vital lessons learned from her battle against cancer and the difficult recovery period. Now, she actively implements them, embracing a new perspective on life. Through the unexpectedly rough times, Lily kept her head held high. She learned how to cope with struggles and now has a new level of maturity to help her in the future. With her family and friends constantly at her side, supporting her, Lily continues along in her post recovery journey. Her battle against cancer forced her to face remarkable adversities, such as leaving school and undergoing chemotherapy. It
continuously tested her willingness and disposition. Miller witnessed Lily in her hardest moments, and can now confidently say that she is the strongest person she knows. “I could not admire her more as a person and look at her for guidance because she truly knows how precious each moment is,” Miller said. “This journey took a toll on Lily, but clearly made her a much stronger person.” After experiencing colon cancer and the treatments that went along with it, Lily now believes she can take on any obstacle that comes her way. “Looking back on what I went through, it was scary and hard at the time,” Lily said. “But taking it step by step and finally recovering makes me feel as if I can do anything I set my mind to.”
Allison Gould Opinion Editor
a.gould.thepanther@gmail.com
Lissette Martinez Feature Editor
l.martinez.thepanther@gmail.com DESIGN BY GIANNA HUTTON
06 ALUMNI
ron magill
WILDLIFE EXPERT AND PHOTOGRAPHER
ron magill
While many people’s jobs entail sitting at a desk all day, Miami Palmetto Senior High alumni and current Director of Communications for Zoo Miami Ron Magill spends time traveling the world photographing animals, spreading important messages regarding conservation and directly involving himself in conservation projects. Born and raised in New York City in 1960 to a Cuban-immigrant father and American mother, Magill moved to Miami when he was only 12 years old to fulfill his father’s dream of owning a piece of property similar to what he left in Cuba. In Miami, Magill lived on a five-acre plot of land in the Redlands, surrounded by animals like possums, hawks, eagles and bobcats, which sparked his interest in animals. “My father missed having a ranch with mango trees and avocado trees. He loved that lifestyle that he had in Cuba,” Magill said. As a boy, he remembers idolizing Jim Fowler, the host of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” which he would watch every night at 7:30. “And like I always tell people, [that] was church for me,” Magill said.
At the time, attending Palmetto was difficult for Magill and his parents, who had to drive 14 miles every day to get him to school on time. “We had to leave the house no later than quarter after six every morning, which means we’re waking up at five,” Magill said. “It was a hassle. My parents made a lot of sacrifices to get me to go to Palmetto.” Magill flourished academically and even went so far as to skip a grade. “Because I had done very well in school, I qualified for an honors chemistry class. At that time, there were no honors classes offered at South Dade,” Magill said. Magill’s mother then appealed to the Superintendent of Miami Dade Schools, who signed a waiver allowing him to attend Palmetto. Despite his success, Magill faced many challenges growing up. At school, he was often teased by other students because of his height— 6 feet 6 inches —and his age. “I was very tall early in my life. I was gangly; I was uncoordinated. [My peers] called me everything from ‘Lerch’ to ‘Frankenstein,’” Magill said. However, things looked up for Magill when his height caught the attention of his
high school basketball coach. “When I was walking the halls the basketball coach saw me walking… and says, ‘you’re going to try out for basketball,’” Magill said. Magill struggled at tryouts, but his coach was determined to help him become a better player. “He worked very hard to get his coordination to where he could play the game the way he wanted to,” Magill’s high school basketball coach, Jay Bouton, said. “He was willing to do everything that was asked of him to try and improve.” By his senior year he was an honorable mention all-city player, which led to him becoming a basketball star at Palmetto. “We’ve remained friends ever since,” Bouton said. After high school, Magill attended the University of Florida, but he left to pursue a job as a zookeeper at the Crandon Park. “My senior year I didn’t finish [at UF] because I was offered a job to work as a zookeeper of the old Crandon Park Zoo before [the new Zoo Miami] was built,” Magill said.
Since leaving UF, Magill has made it his mission to protect wildlife. This mission led him to Panama, and after seeing his favorite animal, the Harpy Eagle, living in cramped conditions at a local zoo there, he was motivated to create change. Magill convinced the mayor of Panama to endorse a campaign to teach the public about the eagle. In 2002, he spoke to the Panamanian Congress. “[They then] wrote a law on April 10th, 2002, declaring the Harpy Eagle the national bird of Panama,” Magill said. “The mayor gave me the key to Panama City.” Magill continued to spend his postgraduate years studying animals and photographing them in the wild. From tracking tigers in India and polar bears in the Arctic to swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos, Magill has traveled all around the world, visiting Africa over 50 times. There he witnessed firsthand the great migration- the largest mammal migration in the world- that brought tears to his eyes. “As far as the eye could see, there were hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and
zebras...It was the greatest single wildlife spectacle on earth,” Magill said. Magill has captured these emotional moments through his photography and documentaries. He has won six Emmy awards for his documentaries, such as: “Dreams of Alaska,” “The Amazon & Beyond,” “Alligator Love, and Dreams of the Rainforest,” which all capture wildlife in their natural habitats. As a Nikon ambassador, Magill hopes his images will inspire an appreciation for animals around the world. “Photography was the best tool I had to tell my stories,” Magill said. Magill also founded the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment fund, which aims to help conservation efforts and provide scholarships to those working on conservation. This year alone, it provided almost $85,000 in scholarships to highschool students. “It ensures that money will go to protect those animals in the wild where they belong in perpetuity,” Magill said. Recently, Magill surprised wildlife ecology and conservation student Herby
Zephir with a $10,000 check to complete his studies at the University of Florida and pursue his conservation efforts. “He is a Haitian boy. His parents came over here as refugees. His mother...works two shifts as a housekeeper, his father is a lawn maintenance guy,” Magill said. “... this kid is amazing... ” Today, Magill continues his influential work at Zoo Miami, making television appearances on shows such as “Good Morning America” and “The Today Show,” and continuing his conservation efforts around the world. “No matter what you love to do in life, I promise you, there is a job that will pay you to do it,” Magill said. “For me, it was talking about wildlife, telling wildlife stories, and getting people engaged in wildlife.”
Gianna Hutton Design Editor
g.hutton.thepanther@gmail.com
Julia Strasius Design Editor
j.strasius.thepanther@gmail.com
DESIGN BY GIANNA HUTTON
08 FRESHMEN
emiliano Rivera Immigrating from Colombia just seven months ago, Miami Palmetto Senior High freshman Emiliano Rivera has faced more challenges than the average middle schooler transitioning to high school. The move was especially hard for him, as he suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a disorder on the autism spectrum characterized by significant social interaction limitations. To cope with the drastic change of moving 1,500 miles away — in addition to the challenges associated with Asperger’s — Rivera found a safe haven in art. Rivera and his family left Colombia and came to Miami looking for safety and stability. Starting from scratch in a new environment, Emiliano faced new challenges such as overcoming the language barrier, adapting to a new community and building a social network from the ground up. “Here we have way less family. I only have family from my mother’s side, which is my aunt and my cousins. I live here with only my mother and my sister,” Rivera said. According to Autism Speaks Inc., people on the autism spectrum often like having routines and rituals because they come naturally to them. Rivera went through a major lifestyle change and left behind not only his family, but his friends and his routine, too. The school system runs completely different in the United States than in Colombia.
FRESHMEN|09
Art on the specTrum In Emiliano’s old school, he stayed in a classroom with the same teacher and classmates for the entire school year, which contrasts Palmetto’s six period schedule with different students in every class. “Being in one classroom, I always saw the same people, and it was easier to make true, long-lasting friendships. At Palmetto, I use art as a way of making friends; I either draw their portrait or Pokémon,” Rivera said. Asperger’s mainly affects Rivera’s social skills and makes it difficult for him to understand social cues. “It has been a very rough change for Emiliano; so what he does to cope is to find refuge in his drawings,” Rivera’s mother, Erica Agudelo, said. Being a highly visual thinker, Rivera found it difficult to communicate his feelings with words, so he began drawing them instead. His journey with art has been long and meaningful, and his art has grown with him. “I have been self-taught since I was in 6th grade and I mainly draw anime and manga. I have even submitted my art to a few competitions through a magazine called the Game Informer,” Rivera said. “One of the pieces I submitted was of 7th generation Pokémon in their distinctive poses. I used to practice archery, so I really relate to the character in the upper left hand corner. Basically, drawing helps me express myself since I can funnel all my emotions into them without having to open my mouth.” For Rivera, change of such magnitude can have an even larger impact because of how his perception of the world shapes his understanding of complicated situations. “His autism is functional; he can do everything, but he cannot empathize with his peers in the way in which he talks and he expresses himself,” Agudelo said. “His condition is defined as a way of seeing
the world without filters. For Emiliano, it’s either black or white… He sees things as they are and not how we would like to see.” Rivera must put in lots of effort to maintain conversations and understand others’ facial expressions and body language. That being said, he does not seek any superficial friendships; rather, genuine connections with people that will add value to his life. “In terms of social interaction, I think he’s trying to see who really is authentic,” English for Students of Other Languages teacher Maria Sanin said. “He likes to make sure that who he is interacting with is somebody who’s going to value his opinion.” Rivera has made long strides in the right direction thus far and continues to surprise people every day with his newfound skills. A few weeks ago, he came out of his shell in class and empathized with an upset girl in his class. “I had a student in a crisis, and she was sitting with me as I was wrapping up class. As I’m talking to her, unbeknownst that he is even listening, she tells me how she feels alone and is so happy that she at least has me to talk to,” Sanin said. “Out of the blue, Emiliano said, ‘I know exactly how you feel,’ and the two bonded over their similar experiences. [Asperger’s] makes social interactions much more difficult and for Emiliano to empathize with her and create a friendship with her was beyond impressive.” Recently, Rivera has discovered the Netflix original show “Atypical,” which portrays a teenage boy on the autism spectrum as he experiences life changes. The show has helped him adapt to life in Miami as the show’s protagonist, Sam, struggles to transition from high school to college, which parallels Rivera’s situation. “The show puts someone like me on the screen, and we usually don’t get that
much representation [on TV], so I thought that was pretty cool,” Rivera said. “I actually identify with Sam’s best friend, because he is of Arab descent, and we have that in common.” Rivera has also dabbled in graphic design. His latest project combines his two favorite pastimes: Pokémon and videogames. Alongside some friends from back home, Rivera has started to create a video game with Pokémon set in Colombia. “So far we have all of the characters and plot line ready [for the video game] and all I need is a tablet to complete it,” Rivera said. “My goal is to become an illustrator for a videogames company where I can design my own characters. I’ve done it in an empirical way, and I want to go to a college where I can improve and learn new techniques and new tools to achieve that goal.” Living in this day and age, one can learn from Rivera and try to look at the world through his eyes. His sense of wonder and curiosity, while staying away from negativity, brings out the best in people. “Emiliano, in essence, is the purity that the world needs, and I don’t just mean Emiliano but all the kids with Asperger’s. He has the ability to always see the world through the eyes of a kid and goes through life without any intent to harm anyone,” Agudelo said. “He goes with the interest of putting that piece of creativity that he has and putting it at the service of everyone else. His only impediment is not always knowing how and art has greatly aided him in his self-expression.”
Kate Stuzin Copy Editor
k.stuzin.thepanther@gmail.com
Kristine Villarroel Life Editor
k.villarroel.thepanther@gmail.com DESIGN BY CAMILLA BONDY
10 | SOPHOMORES
Mikayla ashe
Part-timE ninja, full-timE leader In a day and age where society faces many safety challenges, there is an evident urgency to learn how to protect oneself. According to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), as of 2018, one in six women are victims of sexual assault in their lifetime, totaling 17.7 million American female victims in the last 20 years. Sophomore Mikayla Ashe, a martial artist, combats this emergency with her own women’s selfdefense program, training women across age groups since the seventh grade. “In this stained age, violence is a common scene. You should know how to defend yourself because the chances of getting into that situation right now is extremely high,” Mikayla said. Wanting to defuse the situation, Mikayla’s program ensures the teaching of vital defense tactics. With this, girls may use their newlylearned tactics to escape danger. “They are educating themselves, and they know that this is a more serious, real issue than they thought, and they know they are capable of protecting themselves properly,” Mikayla said. “I don’t think I know any girls who have had to use it, but in the future if they did, and they benefitted from my program, I’d consider that a win.” Taekwondo, a martial art that Mikayla first practiced at six years old, also connects Mikayla’s family. Since the rest of her family are all highly ranked in the sport, Mikayla felt compelled to keep the tradition going. “When I was little, most of my family did it: they all did Taekwondo. I was doing ballet at the time, and I
really didn’t have any interest in it, so I was like, ‘Okay, I really want to be a ninja,’ so I joined Taekwondo, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” Mikayla said. A home that supports her endeavors ensures Mikayla’s success and prosperity in the responsibilities she has in Taekwondo and her educational career thus far. “Healthy body, healthy mind: our family follows that simple, but important principle,” Mikayla’s father, Lawrence Ashe, said. “We are all crossfitters and we’ve all practiced martial arts. We’ve always encouraged Mikayla to participate, but she’s clearly taken it to a whole new level through sheer determination and perseverance.” Apart from a natural talent for Taekwondo, Mikayla demonstrated her devotion from a young age, practicing multiple hours a week. Even with the highly-regarded Taekwondo belt testing, Mikayla was able to excel regardless of the difference in age, and eventually earned a black belt at 10 years old. “On ‘Instagram,’ there are videos of me in a younger version breaking boards, doing forms, self defense, kicking combinations and my belt testing... And I also had Youth Empowerment videos that I demonstrated tutorials on how to do certain skills,” Mikayla said. Given Mikayla’s early achievements, her “Instagram” videos attracted girls interested in learning these skills to come and talk to her. “A lot of girls are getting assaulted. I’m trying to teach them self-defense tactics to try and avoid the situation or make it less catastrophic,” Mikayla said.
These girls’ stories inspired Mikayla to create the women’s self-defense program during which, regardless of their age, women learn practical Taekwondo techniques in order to defend themselves in threatening circumstances. To establish her defense clinic, Mikayla spoke particularly to her main instructor, Antony Graf, who specializes in teaching martial arts. “He gave me PowerPoints, information and some additional self defense tactics that would add to my clinics. He guided me in speaking properly to a group of people and keeping the audience engaged. He talked to many girls and students in his classes, teachers, friends of his in other martial arts facilities to gather a set of people who would be interested,” Mikayla said. Graf has taught Mikayla since she was six years old, developing a close relationship with mutual respect for one another. Throughout their time together, he has seen her mature, not only in the art of Taekwondo, but also in her life. “She is exceptional and she always stood out to me. She has a tremendous retention for patterns and a natural gift, but with an extremely great work ethic,” Graf said. “Her focus is just unparalleled.”
In recalling her efforts to make a difference in the community, Graf acknowledges her work with those of all age groups, not only younger females, and her evident influence on them. “Mikayla works with children from three-and-a-half-years-old to adults. From a personal standpoint, at least with my own children and wife, the last thing you want them to feel is helpless,” Graf said. “She is contributing to the community by giving people an extra tool that’ll give them a chance to find success in a dangerous situation.” As a student developing this program, she also faced difficulties balancing the clinic with schooling, but starting at a young age made it easier for her to adapt to the schedule and to find an effective way for both priorities to coexist. “Time management-wise, it was hard balancing school, extracurricular activities and the program, but now I have found a balance. [I found it because of] consistency and not giving up. Eventually over time, I got used to the schedule and now I’m okay with it,” Mikayla said. With her readiness and determination, Mikayla progressed quickly in teaching self-defense techniques and gained popularity among the community.
“She is very interactive. She shows you how to get out of a situation, such as kidnapping. A lot of people recommended the clinic. I went there two years ago. I feel brave and protective to people surrounded me now,” a past participant in the defense program, Sabina Ortiz, said. Mikayla, a young leader who acts on ideas that will make a difference in our community, provides her students with not only basic selfdefense strategies, but with confidence in their ability to protect themselves. “With that, I can make changes with real life problems in a societal issue we face and my accumulated attributes I gained over the years, once helping out with the clinic in seventh grade. My impact on our community has become somewhat tangible to me,” Mikayla said. “There was no looking back.”
Joanna Salvat
Online Editor-In-Chief
j.salvat.thepanther@gmail.com
Kun Lu
Senior Design Editor
g.torras.thepanther@gmail.com PHOTOS BY VALENTINA CACERES DESIGN BY JULIA STRASIUS
12 | SOPHOMORES
Hundreds of eyes fixate on the swimmer as he mounts the starting block. When everyone is in their positions, the crowd falls silent, waiting for the signal — bzzt! His fingertips glide into the water, and he makes calculated movements, coming up for short breaths, then submerging his head back in. As he flashes past his competitors, Miami Palmetto Senior High sophomore Kyle Korvick maintains focus in the pool. “Whenever I go to practice or to compete, it’s my outlet from everything else that’s going on…and I’m in my own little world,” Korvick said. Korvick credits his father for starting his swimming career. “I started swimming when I was about seven at Gulliver’s swim club...my dad kind of wanted me to try every sport to see which one best fit me,” Korvick said. Soon enough, Korvick realized his natural-born talent for swimming. “I realized that I was going to be really good at it when I was 12 or 13 because I took a two-year break…then I came back, and I got really good, really fast,” Korvick said. Korvick decided to swim competitively, showcasing his skill at national-level competitions. At 14, just a year after deciding to compete, he attended the 2018 Junior Olympics, swimming at 4:05.79 in the 400-meter freestyle; he made the Winter Junior Nationals cut, qualifying for a meet with the fastest U18 swimmers at the event. To train for these competitions, Korvick follows a rigorous practice schedule. “So usually it’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I swim for like an hour from 5:15 to 6:15 a.m. and then everyday after school from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.,” Korvick said.
Kyle Korvick
“It’s really hard because there’s multiple practices a week — some in the morning before school and competitions and stuff like that.” Though trying at times, swimming keeps Korvick’s determination and passion at 100%. “There are a lot of moments, especially in practices, that are really hard, and I’m really sore. I just want to forget the day ever happened and go home. But I know that the pain is temporary. That’s one of my favorite quotes: ‘Pain is temporary, pride is forever.’ Because you’ll be hurting now, but it’ll all pay off when you go [to meets] and you’re at your best...it’s all worth it,” Korvick said. “I just love swimming so much. I want it really bad. I don’t know how to explain it, but my love for the sport just keeps me going.” Korvick’s coach, Michelle Uhle, admires his tenacity for the sport. “He’s a strong team member; he’s a leader; he’s very dedicated and focused.” Uhle said. “He motivates others by his passion for the sport.” Korvick’s dedication and talent inspire his teammates, especially Garett Mullins. “When I get to watch Kyle race, it’s honestly so inspiring because he’s someone who’s so talented, yet is always putting in the work and finding ways to keep improving,” Mullins said. Amidst his consecutive victories, Korvick faced an obstacle that threatened his swimming career last summer. He needed surgery on his heel. His os trigonum bone did not properly fuse under his heel from excessive swimming, causing damage to his Achilles tendon. “I knew that if I had just let it stay in
there, the longer I kept it in there, the more damage it would have done so I had to get it taken it out and I was out for a summer.” Korvick said. Being out for so long took a toll at first, but the support from his parents and teamates helped him regain motivativation. “I had big goals to make Olympic trials, and I felt like missing an entire summer would pretty much ruin my chances. For the first month that I was out, when I was in the splint, I was in a really bad mental place,” Korvick said. “Quite a few of my teammates came over and cheered me up and kept me in a good mental place, and then when I came back to high school season, things just went up from there.” Since his injury, Korvick continued to push himself. He competed in the Toyota U.S. Open Championship last year in December, where he swam at 4:09.39 for the 400 free, beating college-age students. “[His dedication] makes me want to push everyone else to kind of get close to his level,” Uhle said. “It’s hard to, because he’s such a hard worker and he’s got a lot of natural-born talent.” But for Korvick, it’s about more than just the medals. “It’s definitely character-building as a sport and experience as a whole,” Korvick said. “I’m going to take that dedication and apply it to anything I want to do…in the future.”
Gemma Torras
Senior Design Editor
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Valentina Caceres Sports Editor
v.caceres.thepanther@gmail.com DESIGN BY JULIA STRASIUS
JUNIORS|13
Michael Martinez
POCKETS FULL OF SUNSHINE
Junior Michael Martinez wakes up at 4 a.m. to ensure that he has ample time to perfect his look. With his signature cat-eye eyeliner, fishnet tights and silver hoops, he walks the halls of Palmetto with his head held high, unafraid of what others think about his fashion sense. As a result, Martinez, his very own style icon, turns the school halls into his very own runway every single day. “I plan [my outfits] out a day before ...my inspiration I’d say largely is either vintage kind of looks or I guess e-boy kind of looks or...alternative,” Martinez said. An “e-boy” or “e-girl” is an archetype emo style and has an extensive online presence. The style rose to fame during the summer of 2019 on the app TikTok. His eclectic style includes wearing layered chokers, brightly colored stripes and chains one day and black overalls and Converse the next. Inspired by famous Youtuber Jeffree Star, Martinez dresses in a gender non-conforming manner — a manner that truly represents his personality. “Jeffree Star inspires me because he is a successful gay man...He’s successful and glamorous,” Martinez said. “I went shopping for clothes one day and having nice clothes and looking good made me feel confident and ready to face the world.” Since discovering his sexuality in seventh grade, Martinez has openly identified as gay. For someone as brave and prideful as Martinez, a strong support system at home is imperative. From the moment he came out to his parents, they continued to love and accept him all the same.
“They’re supportive of it,” Martinez said. “My mom has asked me to do her makeup several times. My dad treats me no different; my mom treats me no different.” Through fashion, he can express who he is on the inside. By dressing freely, Martinez spreads joy and positivity, encouraging others to make bold fashion choices and do what makes them happy. Shopping at places like Morphe, Sephora, Hot Topic and Forever 21 helps him acquire the pieces he needs to vary his looks. While he shops at these trendy stores now, Martinez has not always described himself as a fashion trendsetter. “In middle school, I’d say my fashion was horrendous...I mix-matched clothes — I didn’t know anything about fashion,” Martinez said. “Then, I started experimenting more freshman year.” Martinez utilizes social media as a platform for self-expression. He uses his Instagram (@sleepy.mike) to highlight and document each of his looks. As far back as 2018, he has maintained a consistent presence online, posting about once a month and now has amassed nearly 1,000 followers. Martinez juxtaposes pictures of himself modeling oversized flannels, bold checkered prints and bright stripes with captions like “Color will always make you smile” and “Crushing on myself.” “There’s always people that are going to not like you because of who you are and stuff like that,” Martinez said. “I think me being the way I am gave me selfconfidence.” While some may not like him for how he identifies or dresses, Martinez and his
best friends Ingrid Menoya and Lindsey Wise have bonded over his style, a shared sense of humor and unapologetically being who they are. After meeting almost three years ago, they have been inseparable. “I met him freshman year and we had classes together and we sat together in like almost all of them,” junior Lindsey Wise said. “...He was really open-minded and really out there. I really like people who don’t care about other people’s opinions and he expressed himself without caring.” Despite the highs and lows of high school, Martinez’s and Menoya’s close friendship remains strong. Every day, the two spend time together before homeroom and at lunch, openly being who they are. “My first impression of him was that he was a very outgoing, outspoken and interesting person. My favorite thing about Michael is how happy...he is; he is always smiling, always laughing, always making other people smile. He’s just...a walking ray of sunshine,” Menoya said. “I think his biggest strength is being able to deal with what is thrown at him. He deals with challenges everyday from people making fun of him and his outfits, but he still shines through like a star.”
Isabel Wilder
Senior Copy Editor
i.wilder.thepanther@gmail.com
Zaviera Presley Staff Writer
z.presley.thepanther@gmail.com DESIGN BY SYDNEY CAMPBELL
14 JUNIORS
Logan Esco
get wiggy Amid the backstage bustle of drama students quickly moving about, changing into their costumes and perfecting their makeup, junior Logan Esco carefully styles their wigs. Esco’s interest in wigs and synthetic hair began in middle school when he would attend cosplay conventions, a place where anime fans gather to dress in elaborate costumes to portray their favorite characters. “As I was getting older, I was like, ‘I’m growing out of this.’ But I still was very attached to the artistic aspect of it,” Esco said. “I didn’t know what to do with those skills, and I was getting super into theater.” During his freshman year, Esco decided to further explore where he could apply the techniques he practiced in middle school. After offering his help to drama teacher Robin Barson, Esco joined her stagecraft class, where he learned to improve on his abilities. Here, he also met one of his closest friends, junior Lexi Roldan. “He’s easily one of the most interesting people I know because his mind is so full of ideas and concepts full of color and beauty, and I wish I could think like him,” Roldan said. “We’ve been friends for about a year and a half, but it’s felt like a lifetime.” He also aids Palmetto’s Activities Director, Elizabeth Valero, who has a background in theater and assists with school productions. She began to work closely with him two years ago. “Logan is my president for the Palmetto Theatrical Technicians, and he is a really dedicated person,” Valero said. “He will make something happen no matter what.” As his involvement with theater production at Palmetto grew, his skills progressed. “As I started doing it here, I started getting more and more into the more ‘proper’ way to do it. I do stick with pre-made wigs usually, but I would style them in damaging ways,” Esco said. “For example, how I style them now, I set them with rollers and then I hit them with heat — like with steam — but back in middle school, I would just get a curling iron. The hair is synthetic, so it burns.” Esco purchases his wigs from a number of websites, and has even toyed with building his wigs from scratch. “I don’t do [construction] a lot because it’s very painstaking. I used to work with wigs that had a lacefront — I knew how to work with them in middle school, but barely — and now I know how to place them on a wig head right. I know how to hand-tie hairs into the lace,” Esco said. “It’s very, very painstaking; even masters take days. The average time is like 40 hours to finish an entire wig.” The difficulty of construction thus requires intense determination. “Putting together a wig from start to finish...is something that I haven’t even been able to master,” Valero said. “He’s really hyperfocused on the outcome from the beginning to the end.” For drama shows at Palmetto, Esco usually waits for cast lists to come out before searching the internet for the perfect hairpiece. From there, his process accelerates in preparation for the final performance. He must decide upon a color, choose a style and practice the look. “I can see if the color of the wig would match their skin tone and
JUNIORS|15
with it look good on them...Then I’ll get a style to compliment it and do my research on the period and the character…kind of supplementing Barson’s vision,” Esco said. “We go into dress rehearsals and shows, putting them on and pinning them up.” However, the process of styling the wigs up until that final show is far from simple. Esco experiences frequent trial and error and has made drastic changes in the past to ensure the right look. “For example, during ‘Merrily [We Roll Along],’ the character Gussie’s updo was originally down. She looked young, and we had to make her look aged. So I stuck the wig to my wig head and just played with it. I finally got the one [the audience] saw,” Esco said. Last year, the entire cast and crew of the play “The Drowsy Chaperone” performed the show on several occasions. The production follows a character who avidly loves theater. It was reviewed by the Florida Thespians Festival judges, and then qualified for a mainstage performance. “Getting to work with a show so much and getting to work so closely with those people, it became sort of familial. I also got to get a really good grasp on the source material,” Esco said. “Getting multiple opportunities, I would get to rework my craft and make it more and more perfect instead of getting to do it just once.” Esco has also earned significant recognition for his work. “At District competition our production team got top honors, which is the highest [recognition] you can get, and I got one point away from a perfect score for my hair and makeup,” Esco said. “For the show we just did, ‘Merrily [We Roll Along],’ I got a Broadway Star of the Future nomination. It’s basically kind of like the high school version of the Tony’s, and at the state level.” Wig-making and styling, along with the makeup skills that Esco practices, seem more niche and unique to the average person. “You don’t see kids as often that have a passion for makeup and wigs and hair work and things like that,” Valero said. “It’s great because you know he’s going to get to work no matter where he falls. If it’s in beauty and fashion, or theatrics, or special effects, or theme park work, he’s going to get to do what he loves to do.” Many schools offer the fine arts degrees that Esco hopes to pursue. He sees himself making a career out of his expertise by pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts. “There’s hair and makeup design BFAs,” Esco said. “I plan on applying next year to the University of North Carolina’s School of the Arts and DePaul is my second choice.”
Allison Strasius Editor-in-Chief
a.strasius.thepanther@gmail.com
Camilla Bondy Design Editor
c.bondy.thepanther@gmail.com
DESIGN BY SYDNEY CAMPBELL
16 SENIORS
Alyssa hamaya
rescuing the abandoned
Miami Palmetto Senior High senior Alyssa Hamaya, alongside her mother Jessica Stephens and her friend Mollie Cybulski, co-founded Xtreme Rescue, Inc., a non-profit, foster-based dog rescue, in 2012. The rescue prioritizes issues of overpopulated shelters and animal abandonment in South Florida. Hamaya has always loved animals — most likely because her mother, an avid animal-lover herself, raised her daughter surrounded by foster dogs. “I’ve always had animals. I basically can’t live without them, and [Alyssa] grew up the same,” Stephens said. “Everyday, we’d take our foster dogs to [Perrine Wayside Dog Park] and Alyssa would run with them, teach them to swim and play hide-and-seek with the pups.” Perhaps it comes as no surprise that from an early age Hamaya demonstrated an interest in accompanying her mother on transports. This entails driving rescued animals to available foster homes, rescues and shelters around South Florida. “We ended up just finding dogs, and then we met [Mollie] and we all created [Xtreme Rescue, Inc.] together,” Hamaya said. “It was just the three of us that started it off. We filed all the paperwork that we needed to with the state and then we just started taking dogs in.” Running a rescue — especially theirs, which prioritizes dogs that require hospice care, are old or are injured versus young, healthy dogs — takes considerable dedication and time. With a laundry list of logistical duties, the three of them work hard to ensure every animal is loved and
well-cared for. “We run background, property and home checks on adopters prior to approval. We transport dogs to other rescues when our space is full, or to vet offices to provide medical attention,” Stephens said. “We network adoptable dogs and temporarily hold animals until their transport in secure for other rescues to receive them. They are dependent on us and we need to fulfill our promises of keeping them as family, not as disposable, material objects.” Despite starting the rescue seven years ago, Hamaya has not lost her passion for helping animals in need. In fact, after entering high school — stressful enough in its own right — Hamaya took on more duties and worked on rescuing and coordinating all the time, forcing her to balance both school and rescue responsibilities. “When I first started high school, I did it non-stop, from the time I woke up to the time I got on the bus to the time I got home or before I went to sleep,” Hamaya said. “I did it during school, as well… if [fosters] needed anything, they had my number. I would step out and call. My teachers didn’t really know...I mainly told them my mom was on the phone, and it was an emergency.” To keep the rescue running smoothly, Hamaya must wear many hats, helping out with social media and coordinating transports, a complicated process requiring multiple steps. “I help out with social media — the Facebook page, the Instagram page and whatever websites we have the pets on,” Hamaya said. “I also coordinate transports.
I make run sheets for pets to go from point A to point B, and there are a few times we’ve had to go out and find dogs that people called us about that needed help.” Through Xtreme Rescue, Hamaya has built a community of shelters, adopters, fosters, vets, along with other rescues across South Florida. “I basically searched out other rescues, became friends with them and over time we began helping each other out in any way we could,” Hamaya said. Others in her life recognize and appreciate the impact she is making. “I’m very proud of her. She has done so much for the animals, stepping up when no one else would help place them,” Stephens said. “[Running a rescue] is a full-time commitment. Luckily for me, Alyssa has always been interested in helping out and doing more than I ever asked for.” Hamaya’s close friend and fellow Palmetto senior Daniela Madrid notes her work reflects not only her passion, but her character as well. “She has a huge heart, not only for people but for animals,” Madrid said.“More likely than not she will do anything...to get someone or something in a better situation.”
Jacob Grindstaff Multimedia Editor
j.grindstaff.thepanther@gmail.
Katriona Page Copy Editor
k.page.thepanther@gmail.com DESIGN BY ANA MARTINEZ
EVAN GOLINSKY
SENIORS| 17
A SYMBOL OF LAUGHTER AND LIGHT Miami Palmetto Senior High School senior Evan Golinsky knows the joys comedy can bring to others because he learned it from someone special: Dan Golinsky, his father. Dan Golinsky passed away on Nov. 12, 2016 due to a traumatic brain injury he suffered after a car accident. Evan, a freshman at the time, had to navigate high school without his parent and role model. “He was in a coma for about 11 months,” Evan said. “He was…in a minimally conscious state for that entire time.” This tragedy significantly affected Evan and the rest of his family, but he decided to make some positive change out of the situation and start an annual fundraiser honoring his dad. The Golinsky Comedy Club, under Evan’s direction, donates its profits to the Brain Trauma Foundation, which works to ensure that doctors and scientists can find better ways to treat traumatic brain injuries so that no family has to go through the loss that the Golinsky family did. “I love comedy. My dad loves comedy,” Evan said. “We established a fundraiser that was best representative of his life, and something that could best make light of a horrible tragedy.” To date, the annual Golinsky Comedy Club has held three events, with comedians ranging from Dave Berry to Palmetto alumni Joe Largo. Because of Evan’s dedication to the event, he has raised upwards of $75,000 for the Brain Trauma Foundation, a testament to his love for his father and for comedy. Evan cites his father as one of the people who has had the biggest impact on his day-to-day demeanor. “He’s definitely made me a positive person…He valued education. He always pushed us to succeed in school, to try hard,” Evan said. These values paid off, as Evan recently secured an early decision acceptance to the University of Pennsylvania, the school he will attend next fall. “He’s definitely the strongest person I’ve ever met, for sure. He doesn’t let what
happened to him define him, but he builds himself off of it instead,” Palmetto senior and Evan’s best friend Eli Graff said. “How he turned such a tragedy into such a great thing for so many people has really been a very rewarding experience for me to see as a friend. It makes me feel proud, and I’m just really glad that I’m experiencing all he’s achieved right by his side all these years.” Evan wants to further expand the comedy club, eventually setting up a college scholarship for students who have lost a parent and securing even more well-known comedians such as Larry David for the event. He plans to pass off the comedy club to his younger sister, sophomore Marlee Golinsky, and his family friend, Cooper Menachem, after he graduates. “He’s very good at talking to people,” Marlee said. “It’s very easy to talk to him, and people want to talk to him. He’s just a good person overall, especially to his family.” Ultimately, losing his father was not the only hardship Evan would face over the course of his lifetime. In 2017, as a sophomore, he lost his home due to Hurricane Irma. Despite the difficulties he has experienced, Evan continues to look for the positive side and the humor in life. Dan Golinsky’s legacy of light lives on in Evan’s life and the lives of countless others who have been positively affected by the Comedy Club and the money it has raised for brain trauma research. “Of all the curveballs life might throw at you, all the tragedies you might experience, the best way to go about it is to be positive and through that even laugh,” Evan said. “Spread that positive energy and vibe to everyone…That’s what he would have wanted and I’m sure he was proud that we took that approach.”
Nicole Markus
Print Editor-in-Chief
n.markus.thepanther@gmail.com DESIGN BY ANA MARTINEZ
18 FACULTY
juanita rosa Juanita Rosa was brought up in a household surrounded by the beauty of languages. She grew up bilingual, with Spanish as her first language and English as her second, which is where her love for languages first began. Rosa decided she wanted to learn something new, so she turned to a new language — French. “When I got to highschool, I thought, ‘Okay, I’m done with Spanish. I’ve had enough Spanish in my life, let’s try something new and different,’ and that’s where I discovered French,” Rosa said. Upon entering college, Rosa participated in the Hollins Abroad Paris Program, which gave students studying French the opportunity to live in Paris for one semester or one year. “I personally love French, obviously, as I’m a French teacher, so I decided to do the year-long program. So you start in January and you come back in December — calendar year,” Rosa said. “They gave us a questionnaire and asked us a series of questions of what we wanted in a host family. I personally wanted a family with kids; if they had pets that would’ve been great. They didn’t, but that was fine.” She reminisces about her time in Paris and looks back on it with fondness. “I ended up in a family with four small children. The youngest was four and the oldest was 13. They are the best teachers you can imagine because they have no fear, no shame in correcting you and so what little mistakes I did make in French, they were sure to correct me almost instantaneously,” Rosa said. “The parents were great because they were involved to help teach the French language, so if there was cultural stuff I didn’t know about, they helped me out.” Rosa stresses the importance of knowing and learning a language because it enriches one’s life and allows one to connect with those from other cultures. “The more languages you know, the more your perspective on life changes, and I think I’m more open-minded… I’ve lived it, but it’s been scientifically researched that that’s what happens — the more languages you know, the more open you are, and you see life differently. The more you know, the better you think,” Rosa said. The Hollins Abroad Paris Program taught Rosa more than just French as a language; it also taught her independence and gave her selfconfidence to solve problems and take care of herself. “On a personal level, it made me more resilient and [taught me] how to rely on myself, be responsible for myself...‘Okay, what am I gonna do with myself?’” Rosa said. “It makes you become more independent. You grow up and realize you can do more than you ever thought you could.” DESIGN BY GEMMA TORRAS
FACULTY| 19
Bridging cultures,
one language at a time Rosa is grateful for the experiences, lessons and memories that the foreign language program has brought her. To those looking to learn a new language, Rosa offers some pieces of advice. “Honestly, there’s no better way to learn a foreign language than to live it,” Rosa said. “On a daily basis at home, you’re speaking [the language you’re learning]. At school, you’re speaking it and studying history, politics, language, literature.” After her time in the foreign exchange program, Rosa decided to try something different, so she enlisted in the military. Rosa dedicated 10 years of her life — August 1992 to 2003 — to the United States Air Force. She spent half of it in active duty and the other half as a reservist, one who is enrolled in the military but still living a normal civilian life. “I miss the structure. I miss the discipline. I miss getting up in the morning and knowing I don’t have to pick something to wear because I have to wear a uniform,” Rosa said. Her experience in the military as a linguist consisted of various military and civilian communications in Spanish and English. She began as a Spanish to English and vice versa translator. A situation in Haiti where they needed a French linguist led her to learning Haitian Creole. “I loved being a linguist. It was really cool. You didn’t know what to expect from one day to the next,” Rosa said. Later on, her life transitioned from the military to teaching. Though she chose this career as an adult, a passion for teaching always coursed through her veins. “So I’ve always been a teacher, unofficially. Growing up, I used to play with my dolls; I was the teacher [and] they were my students,” Rosa said. “And
then, in the Air Force, they give you certain jobs outside the specific duty that you’re assigned, and I was working in the education office, maintaining all of the materials for the linguists. And it’s just something I’ve always enjoyed.” Her career in teaching began with her working in human resources. With this as a starting point, the switch to teaching was a smooth transition. Rosa decided to teach what she was passionate about: languages. Having learned French so thoroughly through the foreign exchange program, her preferred language to teach is French. In addition to teaching the French language, she also exposes French culture to her students. Rosa’s technique of requiring students to solely speak French in her class has helped them make major leaps of progress. “We can talk in class, and we can talk to friends, but it has to be in French, and it’s fun to fool around like that, but it always has to be in French, and I feel like that has pushed us so much more than we [are] used to be pushed in, personally, my freshman and sophomore year. I think we’ve moved so much faster and so much further, solely [be]cause of that,” senior, current AP French student and French Honor Society president Andrea Riquezes-Gete said. Rosa appreciates teaching high school because of her students’ eagerness to learn. High school students know enough that they can hold sophisticated conversations, but she is still able to teach them important life lessons. “I really enjoy students at this age because there’s still the curiosity, the interest in discovery, and I still feel like I know a little something that they don’t that I can share,” Rosa said. Her teaching style and personality have
helped students believe in their ability to learn new languages and realize that there is no limit to what they can learn. “...In the one year I had with Madame Rosa, it really showed me that I could actually learn French, and I could keep working on it, and if I just practiced and practiced and practiced even if I wasn’t in a French class, I could really expand [on] what I knew,” junior, former AP French student and French Honor Society historian Anaïs Roatta said. Apart from fluently speaking Spanish, French and English, and having knowledge of Haitian Creole, she also has knowledge of German and Hebrew. Majority of Rosa’s life has been influenced by her love for multiple languages and cultures. Language serves as glue for people of different cultures and helps one appreciate other societies. “You put people at ease when you let them express themselves in their native language,” said Rosa. “So the more you’re able to converse and dialogue with people, the better off we are in general as a world because communication is key.”
Priscilla Bermudez Copy Editor
p.bermudez.thepanther@gmail.com
Sydney Campbell Design Editor
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20 FACULTY
Peggy falagan MORE than an art history teacher Many Miami Palmetto Senior High students are familiar with Margarita Falagan, better known to some as Peggy Falagan. Falagan adopted the nickname Peggy after her fifth grade teacher “relabeled” her; this nickname made her feel more like she belonged in America, her new home. As the school’s AP Art History teacher, she has taught thousands of students over the past 27 years. While students know of her wisdom, humor and openness, most do not know everything she has been through to get where she is today. Born in Cuba in 1954, Falagan came to the United States at seven years old as a political exile fleeing the rise of the infamous Fidel Castro’s new corrupt government. Her family settled in Miami, where she immediately faced discrimination. “I was [at Everglades Elementary] for a year, and luckily my parents took me out when they realized I was made to walk home because I was not allowed to eat with the rest of the children,” Falagan said. “The little girl that sat next to me…took her pencil and made a line on the table… she said that I could not go past that line. This was in second grade. Yet somehow, in my own mind, I just looked at her and said DESIGN BY GEMMA TORRAS
that somebody taught this little girl to do this. You’re not born with evil…I forgave her, just as I don’t find it in me to be evil like that.” As Falagan grew up in Westchester, which was culturally segregated at a time when the rest of Miami-Dade County had a very small number of Cubans, her parents did their best to remain optimistic in a difficult situation. “In spite of the fact that we had no money, my brother and I [were] never made aware of our unfortunate status as political exiles. My parents always had Christmas gifts for us. We always had everything that we wanted,” Falagan said. “My parents always hid the fact that we had nothing and that we were dirt poor.” Despite the hardships she faced in childhood, Falagan went on to pursue a career in teaching later in her life, she originally was a ceramics teacher at the Jewish Community Center, or JCC. As part of a teaching internship, she was sent back to Everglades Elementary, the same school where she faced discrimination from students and faculty as a child. When she confronted a former teacher of hers, she received a cold, yet honest response.
“I explained to her the ordeal that I went through in her second grade, and all she could say to me was, ‘Well, you survived, didn’t you?’ She walked away with no remorse, and that’s all she had to say,” Falagan said. “I didn’t hold it against her because she was right. I survived.” Besides teaching, Falagan took up art as a hobby in her spare time. She describes herself as an etcher, painter and ceramist. She channels her emotions into her art, especially when facing adversity, such as when both her parents died of cancer within five years of each other; both died at the age of 47. Although she felt overwhelmed with sadness for a long time, she recovered her spirit when she met her husband, Jose Martin. Eventually, he inspired her to become an art history teacher after coming across one of her works. “One day, [my husband] came home and there was a painting done, and he said, ‘Where did this come from?’ I said that I did it, and he couldn’t believe that I’m an artist because I never showed my work,” Falagan said. “He said, ‘You have to do something with your talent,’ so I went back to school, and that’s why [I became an art history teacher].”
Falagan previously held regular art classes at Miami Coral Park Senior High, where should would have the opportunity to do community service with her students. In one of her projects, she had her students create puppets based on Shakespeare plays. “We then present for the Ronald McDonald House families and patients, and South Florida Aids Network, and ‘Safe Space Shelter’ a home for battered women and children.” Falagan said. “I miss doing these types of projects having only AP Art History classes.” Another way Falagan has given back to the community is by donating her art to charities for silent auctions. “...My ‘Orchid Giclee’ was sold last year at the silent auction help by the PTSA here at MPSH.” Falagan said. Through the years, Falagan has also volunteered endless hours doing murals with her students at Baptist Hospital. Her mural is located in the pediatric cancer treatment office in the Medical Arts building. Falagan took her first teaching job as an AP Art History and AP Studio teacher at Coral Park in 1993 and went on to win teacher of the year in 1999, only six years after first becoming a teacher. Eventually, in
2003, Falagan switched schools and came to Palmetto, where she has now taught for 17 years, strictly as an AP Art History teacher. Falagan quickly became popular upon her arrival and befriended several students and teachers, including AP United States History teacher Silvio Vargas, with whom she has become close to. “When I came to this school, she was the first person to take me under her wing,” Vargas said. “It’s not easy going to a new school to teach at a new school, but she was the first person that welcomed me to Palmetto, the first person that took me under her wing, the first person that made it comfortable for me to socialize with other people here, and I will never forget that about her.” After all her years teaching, Falagan believes the best part of her job is interacting with her students on a daily basis. “I have talented kids that are very bright, and I learn from my kids everyday,” Falagan said. “I don’t have any point of getting out of bed every day unless I learn something from you guys, and I do.” Falagan’s love for her students is not one-sided, as she is beloved by both current students and Palmetto alumni. Falagan still keeps in touch with plenty of her former
students who have gone on to travel the world and seen some of their favorite art pieces. “A day doesn’t go by that I don’t get an email or a Facebook comment or a phone call or a text from a student from the past telling me, ‘I’m in Paris;’ ‘I’m in front of the Nike of Samothrace;’ ‘I’m in Athens;’ ‘I’m in Rome;’ ‘I’m in the Colosseum;’ After 27 years, it’s going to happen,” Falagan said. “Every single day doesn’t go by that I don’t get something from a student from the past. That in itself is such a joy. I don’t get compensated [much] monetarily, but I get compensated spiritually.” Falagan has encountered several obstacles in her life, but she never gave up. To this day, she believes that these tough times made her the person she is today, and she would not change that for anything. “My life is so perfect. I am where I am because of everything that has happened,” Falagan said. “I am fine with students forgetting me, as long as they don’t forget what I taught them and pay it forward.”
Jack Meyer
News Editor
j.meyer.thepanther@gmail.com
Sofia Vinueza
Multimedia Editor
s.vinueza.thepanther@gmail.com
22
letter from the editors Dear Palmetto, We hope you love “Faces of Palmetto” as much as we loved creating it. We recognize how special the Palmetto community is, and our staff worked diligently over the past couple of months to show that to you. Palmetto has changed significantly. The new building is open, and the old buildings are quickly coming down. While our physical surroundings transform around us by the minute, we are lucky enough to find ourselves surrounded by the most inspiring people that continue to do amazing things for their community, overcome incredible obstacles, and motivate those around them. To the seniors featured in “Faces of Palmetto,” thank you for dedicating your time to our school and our community. Your impact is incredible, and though we will miss you next year, we know that you will continue to be a positive influence wherever you go. Unfortunately, we can only feature a certain number of “Faces of Palmetto” stories each year, but if we could, we would write a hundred more. Thankfully, we plan to continue the tradition of “Faces of Palmetto” far into the future. Thank you all for reading this year’s “Faces of Palmetto” issue and for learning about the students, alumni and faculty that make Palmetto so extraordinary. We, the editors of The Panther, are incredibly proud to share it with you.
Love, Allison Strasius, Nicole Markus and Joanna Salvat
MISSION STATEMENT The Panther staff aims to inform fellow students and parents about schoolwide, local, national, and international news. The Panther’s content aims to represent the student body. Editorials feature the opinions of staffers. Features of other students, teachers and clubs further promote the spirit, culture and personality of Miami Palmetto Senior High School.
EDITORIAL POLICY The Panther is a monthly publication of Miami Palmetto Senior High located at 7460 S.W. 118th Street Miami, FL 33156, (305) 235-1360 ext. 2337. The views expressed are solely those of The Panther staff. Students who wish to respond to an article in this publication or discuss another issue may write letters to the editor and submit them to room 980 or e-mail us at n.markus.thepanther@gmail.com. The Panther has professional membership in NSPA and CSPA. The Panther prints 1,400 copies per issue for distribution. The Panther is distributed for free to all students in school. Please visit our paper online at thepalmettopanther.com.
BYLINE POLICY:
All creative work (such as illustrations, graphics, photos and writing) excluding staff editorials and staff member pictures will include byline credits.
CORRECTION POLICY:
Any errors in print will be acknowledged in the next print issue in a correction box. Any errors online will be acknowledged immediately. Errors include facts, figures, misquoting and name misspellings.
ADVERTISING POLICY:
Ads will be designed by the advertiser and include all information the advertiser wants included. If the advertiser asks the staff to design the ad, the individual who sold the ad will design the ad or the Ads Manager will. Ads will be approved by EICs, the Advisor and the Ads Manager. If an ad produced is illegible, contains false information, or the advertiser does not like it, they will receive a free ad in the next issue. If you would like to advertise, please contact us.
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY The School Board shall comply with all Federal Laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and all requirements and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education. The Board will enforce its prohibition against discrimination/harassment based on sex, race, color, ethnic, or national origin, religion, marital status, disability, age, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, gender identification, social and family background, linguistic preference, pregnancy and any other basis prohibited by law. The Board shall maintain an educational and work environment free from all forms of discrimination/harassment, which includes Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct such as unwelcome touching, graphic verbal comments, sexual jokes, slurs, gestures or pictures. All students, administrators, teachers, staff, and all other school personnel share responsibility for avoiding, discouraging, and reporting any form of prohibited discrimination or harassment against students by employees, other students and their parents or guardians, or third parties. This policy prohibits discrimination and harassment at all School District operations, programs, and activities on school property, or at another location if it occurs during an activity sponsored by the Board.
STAFf Editor-In-Chief
Allison Strasius
Print Editor-In-Chief Nicole Markus
Online Editor-In-Chief Joanna Salvat
Managing Editor Jane Heise
Senior Copy Editor Isabel Wilder
Senior Design Editor Gemma Torras
Advertising Chair Olivia Solomon
Feature Editor
Lissette Martinez
News Editor Jack Meyer
Life Editor Kristine Villarroel
Sports Editor
Valentina Caceres
Opinion Editor Allison Gould
Multimedia Team Valentina Caceres Jacob Grindstaff Sofia Vinueza
Copy Team Priscilla Bermudez Katriona Page Kate Stuzin
Design Team Camilla Bondy Sydney Campbell Gianna Hutton Ana Martinez Julia Strasius
Staff Writers Elias Arbe Kun Liu Zaviera Presley
Adviser
Laura Aviles
Emiliano Rivera LILY WEINBACH Ron Magill Logan ESco Kyle Korvick Alyssa Hamaya JUanita ROSA Evan Golinsky PEggy Falagan Michael MartinezMikayla ashe Emiliano Rivera LILY WEINBACH Ron Magill Logan ESco Kyle Korvick Alyssa Hamaya JUanita ROSA Evan Golinsky PEggy Falagan Michael MartinezMikayla ashe Emiliano Rivera LILY WEINBACH Ron Magill Logan ESco Kyle Korvick Alyssa Hamaya JUanita ROSA Evan Golinsky PEggy Falagan Michael MartinezMikayla ashe Emiliano Rivera LILY WEINBACH Ron Magill Logan ESco Kyle Korvick Alyssa Hamaya JUanita ROSA Evan Golinsky PEggy Falagan Michael MartinezMikayla ashe Emiliano Rivera LILY WEINBACH Ron Magill Logan ESco Kyle Korvick Alyssa Hamaya JUanita ROSA Evan Golinsky PEggy Falagan Michael MartinezMikayla ashe Emiliano Rivera LILY WEINBACH Ron Magill Logan ESco Kyle Korvick Alyssa Hamaya JUanita ROSA Evan Golinsky PEggy Falagan Michael MartinezMikayla ashe Emiliano Rivera LILY WEINBACH Ron Magill Logan ESco Kyle Korvick Alyssa Hamaya JUanita ROSA Evan Golinsky PEggy Falagan Michael MartinezMikayla ashe Emiliano Rivera LILY WEINBACH